1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to remote control devices for controlling electrical and electronic appliances, and particularly to an ergonomically shaped infrared remote control unit for operating a television set, the unit having a housing in the shape of a control stick fixed to a base.
2. Description of Related Art
Hand-held remote control devices have long been used to conveniently control television sets without abandoning the comfort of the couch or chair from which the television is being viewed. Early remote devices were small rectangular units controlling an on-off function, the volume, and a TV channel up or down selection. With the growth in the home audio-visual market, the hand-held remote devices have evolved by adding keypads, triggers, and track balls. Multifunction and universal remote units, controlling several electronic devices, are in use. The physical size of the remote has increased, becoming more elongated to include the greater number of control functions.
The increased size has resulted in the television remote control becoming unwieldy for single-handed use. Typically, an operator has pointed the remote at the desired electronic appliance, awkwardly tipping the operator's wrist forward in an uncomfortable position. The operator further was required to balance the remote in his fingers, while manipulating the remote's controls with his thumb. If the operator momentarily relaxed his grip while holding the remote near its ends, the remote would tip forward or rearward, often falling on the floor. Not only does television remote control operation tire the hand and wrist of a user, repetitive operation may subject a user to injuries such as carpel tunnel syndrome.
The conventional shape of the television remote control has not only been uncomfortable to use, it is frequently misplaced. Because it is flat, the traditional remote is easily covered by magazines or newspapers. Frequently, the elongated remote is lost in the folds and pillows of easy-chairs and couches. While the conventional remote control has been designed with a great variance in the number or inclusion of push buttons, switches, triggers, and track balls, a few remote control devices have altered the shape of the housing itself to enhance the usefulness to the operator.
Although there are no known prior art teachings of a device such as that disclosed herein, prior art references that discuss subject matter that bears some relation to matters discussed herein are U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,303 to Gioscia (Gioscia), U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,106 to Autry et al. (Autry), U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,757 to Aubuchon et al. (Aubuchon), U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,085 to Barraza et al. (Barraza), U.S. Pat. No. 6,573,854 B1 to Hug et al.(Hug) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,153 to Aoyagi et al. (Aoyagi). These patents discuss shaped housing for remote controllers.
Gioscia discloses the use of a universal remote control with a specialized shape, which is intended to be easily gripped in the hand. The specialized housing is V-shaped in orthogonal cross sections so that it is wider at the top than at the bottom in the front view, whereas it is narrower at the top and wider at the bottom in the side view so as to achieve a generally cylindrical feel when held in the hand. This slight modification to the housing of the remote may fit the user's hand better than an elongated flat remote, but the user is still subject to wrist strain by tilting and pointing the Gioscia remote unit. Gioscia's remote also retains the slim nature of conventional television remote controls that are subject to frequent misplacement. Gioscia does not teach nor suggest the use of an upright free standing remote intended to prevent loss.
In another prior art apparatus, Autry discusses the use of a shaped remote control for a home entertainment system that has a computer with a large VGA quality monitor as the heart of the system. Autry's remote control modifies the traditional flat remote by including a tracking ball on top of the remote, a trigger button on the bottom of the remote, and a slight rearward bend to the aft portion of the remote when viewed from the side. This bend is intended to relieve the operator's wrist strain, however a subsequent Patent by Aubuchon further modifies Autry's design.
Aubuchon also discloses the use of a shaped remote control for a home entertainment system with a computer. Aubuchon's remote has an elongated rectangular housing with a front longitudinal portion and a considerably shorter rear end portion which is downwardly and rearwardly inclined relative to the front portion and has a generally bulbous underside section which may be grasped from below by a control hand of a user, with the elongated front portion extending forwardly beyond the control hand. The device is stabilized against forward tipping in the user's hand by positioning somewhat more than half of the operating weight of the device in its rear end portion. Various control buttons are positioned on the top side of the front portion of the remote. A track ball and associated two topside selection buttons are positioned to be used by the operator's control hand thumb, and an auxiliary selection button positioned on the remote's underside is intended to be used trigger-like by the operator's control hand index finger. Aubuchon's remote, like Autry's remote, still requires the operator to rotate and awkwardly tip his wrist while pointing the remote device at the parent receiving unit. The slim nature of Aubuchon's and Autry's remote are also subject to frequent misplacement. Neither Aubuchon nor Autry teach nor suggest the use of an upright free standing remote intended to prevent loss.
Still another prior art Patent by Barraza discloses several embodiments of an air mouse device used to control various electronic appliances such as a TV. Some of Barraza's housings require the operator to rotate and tip his wrist while pointing the remote, while other housings disclosed by Barraza require a more upright hand position. Although an operator experiences less wrist strain using the upright Barraza designs, an operator is required to use his thumb as the primary means to activate switches in the upright design. Barraza's air mouse does not teach nor suggest user input controls through the extensive use of other hand digits, such as the use of the index finger to press a trigger or the use of the small finger to press a button. Barraza's compact air mouse, like the small traditional TV remote control, is also subject to frequent misplacement. Barraza does not teach nor suggest the use of an upright free standing remote intended to prevent loss.
In yet another prior art apparatus redesigning the housing of a remote control, Hug describes a pistol-shaped television remote control unit. Hug's design provides a plurality of readily accessible switches, including a trigger which changed the channel to the channel previously selected, three volume control switches on the inside of the grip (volume up, down and mute) for operation by the middle, ring and little fingers, a function keyboard on the back of the grip, and picture adjustments on the side of the grip. Hug's design eases wrist strain, but provides minimal controls directly under a user's hand digits. Hug's pistol-shape housing may also be found offensive by many users concerned about perceived violence in the home environment. Hug's remote control, similarly to the elongated rectangular remote units, lays flat and can easily be covered by papers or the like. A lost or hidden remote control device often frustrates the television viewer. Hug does not teach nor suggest the use of an upright free standing remote, intended to prevent user frustration when the television remote control is misplaced.
In still another prior art apparatus Aoyagi discloses a wireless joystick system for inputting computer signals. Aoyagi's device has a handle that is moveably received by a housing in at least three perpendicular directions, i.e. the x, y and z axis (with a ability to rotate in at least one of these axis. Aoyagi discloses the use of a microprocessor to output the position and orientation of the handle's coordinates to a host computer. The Aoyagi joystick includes switches that produce signals and a slidable member that produces a variable signal, all of which are also output to a computer. The Aoyagi joystick, much like wireless gaming joysticks, input gaming signals to a computer not directly to a television. Aoyagi does not teach or suggest inputting signals to a television to control the television viewing functions, i.e. changing the television channel or modify the television volume.
Accordingly, it has been found that a need exists for an ergonomic design of a television remote control device that is easier to find, hold, and activate. A design that stands vertically to prevent loss. A design is needed that provides a large number of quick access, programmable, and easy to use switches, a design that aesthetically relieves wrist strain. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a device.